Eaves ‘optimistic’ he’ll return, but that’s just his nature

DETROIT — Patrick Eaves is beginning to become a fixture back in the Wings’ locker room, but he’s nowhere near returning to practice.

“(I’m) a ways a ways away,” Eaves said.

Eaves suffered a concussion after fracturing his jaw on Nov. 26. His jaw has fully healed, but he continues to get headaches every day.

“I have one every day and it just depends how bad it is,” Eaves said. “It’s taking a lot longer than I would like. Of course I’m optimistic about the season. I’m a pretty optimistic person. I’d love to play this year but I also have to get this looked after.”

Eaves has been skating on his own for about a week.

“It hasn’t been fun but I’ve been with my family and my daughter, so I’m making the best of it,” Eaves said. “It’s just kind of day-to-day, symptoms kind of come and go, it’s a slow process.”

Eaves didn’t remember getting hit in the ear on a shot by Nashville’s Roman Josi.

“I had to watch it again so see what happened,” Eaves said. “I didn’t remember. I saw (the puck) go on the side, so I turned my head, I still didn’t think it would get up that high.”